CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carowinds says a cracked steel column that led it to shut down a roller coaster last week will be removed and replaced.

The amusement park called in the Swiss engineering firm that built the Fury 325 after the fractured column was noticed Friday. The ride, which opened in 2015 and is billed as the nation's longest steel roller coaster, was closed for safety reasons, the park said.

Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. found the fracture had developed along a weld line and said the column needs to be replaced, Carowinds said. The firm is expected to deliver the new part next week.

The ride then will need to undergo testing and inspection. No date has been given for the ride to resume operation, but Carowinds said it would work with the N.C. Department of Labor to prepare for the reopening.

Inspectors with the Department of Labor examined the ride on Monday.

Fury 325, which is more than 1.25 miles long, is known as a “giga coaster" and reaches a speed of 95 mph, according to the park website.

Carowinds said it plans to add drone-borne cameras to its regular inspection process for hard-to-reach areas on rides.